Lubricant composition



United States Patent 2,990,371 LUBRICANT COMPOSITION Evelyn Ellenson and Richard V. Galba, both of 57. W. 57th St., New York 19, NY. No Drawing. Filed July 23, 1959, Ser. No. 828,944 5 (Cl. 252-56) The present invention is directed to a lubricant composition, and more particularly to a multi-purpose lubricant which may be applied as a solid, paste, or semi-liquid, and which possesses superior adhering properties and a useful long life.

There has been a long felt needfor a surface lubricant for common household articles such as fiat irons, zippers, cabinet drawers, etc. as well as for a wide variety of sports equipment and industrial equipment such as skis and molds. With many of these articles, parafiin has been used as a lubricant, but has been found to be unsatisfactory. Thus, parafim serves as a lubricant for but a relatively short duration, and is readily removed from the surface to which it has been applied. The use of liquid lubricants, such as hydrocarbon oils for the uses referred to above is altogether unsatisfactory as such oils lead to both staining and smearing, and moreover it is not feasible to apply a very minute oil layer as a lubricant coating.

This invention has as an object the provision of a novel lubricant composition.

This invention has as another object the provision of a novel lubricant composition having prime utility for application to the surface of an article to confer a lubricant coating of long duration, non-staining properties and superior adhering characteristics.

This invention has as yet another object the provision of a lubricant composition which may be produced at a high level of uniformity, and at relatively low cost.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The lubricant composition of the present invention comprises a uniform mixture of from about 1 to 52 percent of polyethylene glycol wax, about to 30 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, about 1 to 25 weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and at least one material selected from the group consisting of petroleum hydrocarbon scale wax and polyvinyl stearate. The petroleum hydrocarbon wax if present, may be present to the extent of from 1 weight percent to 80 weight percent, and the polyvinyl stearate if present may be present to the extent of from 1 Weight percent to 35 weight percent.

A wide variety of commercially available polyethylene glycol waxes may be utilized up to and including Carbowax 25,000. Preferably, the polyethylene glycol is Carbowax 4,000 which is a polyethylene glycol having a density of 1.204, a melting point range of 50 to 55 C., and viscosity of 689 seconds Saybolt at 60 C. and a flash point of 535 F.

The polyvinyl stearate used in the present invention is commercially available. It is a white waxy solid having a melting point of 28 C. to 30 C., a boiling point at 2 millimeters pressure of 181 C. to 185 C., a specific gravity at 20 C. of 0.881, a refractive index n 40/D 1.4412-1.4414, and an iodine number of 81 to 82. It is insoluble in water and alcohols, moderately soluble in ketones and vegetable oils, and soluble in most hydrocarbon and chlorinated solvents.

The following examples are illustrative of the compositions of the present invention, and are submitted herewith for the sake of illustration only. It is to be understood that other examples within the scope of the present invention may be made, and the same will be apparent to a chemist having skill in this art who has studied the disclosure contained herein. It is assumed that no one will wish to make a useless composition.

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' Example I 52 parts by weight of Carbowax 4,000, 30 parts by weight of cetyl alcohol, and 12 parts by weight of approved scale wax were dissolved together with agitation Y at 145 F. The mixture was allowed to cool to 131 F., just to the point of recrystallization, and then 6 weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether was added while maintaining the mixture at a temperature of 130 F.

under constant agitation. After the diethylene glycol monobutyl ether had been added the agitation was continued until a uniform mixture was obtained. The temperature was maintained at 130 F. during such agitation. After such agitation the mixture was poured into molds and cooled at room temperature to form a solid article of a desired shape.

Example II 46 weight percent of Carbowax 4,000, 30 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, 5 weight percent of petroleum hydrocarbon scale wax, and 4 weight percent of polyvinyl stearate were dissolved together with agitation at 145 F. The mixture was then allowed to cool to 131 F., and

Example 111 5 weight percent of Carbowax 4,000, 14 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, and weight percent of petroleum hydrocarbon scale wax were dissolved together and blended with agitation at 145 F. The mixture was allowed to cool to 131 F., and then 1 weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether was added with agitation at F. After further stirring at 130 F. the mixture was poured into molds and cooled at room temperature to form a solid article.

Compositions of Examples I, II, and 1H produce solid articles. Where a paste or a semi-liquid is desired, the same can be obtained by decreasing the amounts of the polyethylene glycols and cetyl alcohol and increasing the amounts of polyvinyl stearate and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether. An example of the same is given in Example IV.

Example IV 30 weight percent of Carbowax 4,000, 10 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, and 35 weight percent of polyvinyl stearate were dissolved together at F. with agitation.

The mixture was allowed to cool to 130 F., and then 25 weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether was added with agitation at 130 F. The resultant mixture when cooled to room temperature after further agitation was a paste.

The lubricant compositions of the present invention are broadly applicable to a wide variety of uses.

In particular, the same have proved most desirable with flat irons. Thus, an application of the lubrication composition of the present invention to a flat iron prevents starch from sticking and/or adhering to the iron, and furthermore serves to clean the ironing surface of oxides and to prevent their formation. The lubricant compositions of the present invention also have a high degree of utility as lubricants for zippers, for cabinet drawers, for hinges, for windows, for metal frames, and for skis and sleds. The usage of the present composition on skis and sleds has been found to prevent snow and ice from sticking to the surface thereof and to permit smoother and faster operation.

The lubricant compositions of the present invention have achieved a high degree of success as mold releases for 'hot injection molding, as for example in the molding of plastics or rubber.

Patented June 27, 1961 a 3 a r i The present invention may be em ed in other speoific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention. v we claim:

1. A lubricant composition comprising 52 weight perpercent of a polyethylene glycol having a melting point range of 50 to 55 C., about 30 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, about weight percent of a petroleum hydrocarbon scale wax, about 15 weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and about 4 weight percent of polyvinyl stearate.

3. A lubricant composition comprising about 5 weight percent of a polyethylene glycol having a melting point within the range of 50 to 55 C., about 14 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, about 88 percent of petroleum hydro carbon scale waxes, and about 1 weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

4. lubricant composition comprising about 30 weight percent of a polyethylene glycol having a melting point range of about 50 to 55 C., about 10 weight percent of cetyl alcohol, about weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and about 35 weight percent of polyvinyl stearate.

5. A lubricant composition comprising a uniformly dispersed mixture of from aboutl to 52 weight percent of a polyethylene glycol wax having a molecular weight of up to about 25,000, from about 1 to 25 weight percent of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, from about 10 to weight percent of cetyl alcohol, and at least one material selected from the group consisting of from about 1 to 80 weight percent of a petroleum hydrocarbon scale wax and from about 1 to weight percent of polyvinyl stearate.

References Cited in the file of patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Carbowax Compounds and Polyethylene Glycols, by

25 Carbide and Carbon Chem. Corp., N.Y., 1946, pages 6 and 7.

Jacobowitz July 11, 1939 Morgan Aug. 28, 19 

1. A LUBRICANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING 52 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL HAVING A MELTING RANGE OF ABOUT 50 TO 55* C., ABOUT 30 WEIGHT PERCENT OF CETYL ALCOHOL, ABOUT 12 WEIGHT PERCENT OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON SCALE WAXES, AND ABOUT 6 WEIGHT PERCENT OF DIETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOBUTYL ETHER. 